Jack William Nicklaus, nicknamed "the Golden Bear", is a retired American professional golfer and golf course designer. He is widely considered to be either the greatest or one of the greatest golfers of all time. He won 117 professional tournaments in his career. Over a quarter-century, he won a record 18 major championships, three more than second-placed Tiger Woods. Nicklaus focused on the major championships—the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship—and played a selective schedule of regular PGA Tour events. He competed in 164 major tournaments, more than any other player, and finished with 73 PGA Tour victories, third behind Sam Snead (82) and Woods (82).
The Farmers Insurance Open is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played in San Diego, California at Torrey Pines Golf Course. The tournament is held in the early part of the season known as the "West Coast Swing". The event originated as the San Diego Open in 1952; it used the name in its title through 1985. The tournament is organized by The Century Club of San Diego.
The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held annually at Pebble Beach, California, near Carmel. The tournament is usually held during the month of February on two different courses, currently Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and previously, Monterey Peninsula Country Club.
The World Series of Golf was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. From its inception in 1962 through 1975, it was an unofficial 36-hole event matching the winners of the four major championships. In 1976 it became an official PGA Tour event; the field expanded to 20 players and the event was lengthened to 72 holes. the victory and $100,000 winner's share went to Nicklaus. The field was increased to over 40 players in 1983, though it never exceeded 50; NEC began sponsoring the event in 1984.
The Canadian Open is a professional golf tournament in Canada. It is co-organized by Golf Canada and the PGA Tour. It was first played 120 years ago in 1904, and has been held annually since then, except for during World War I, World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the third oldest continuously running tournament on the tour, after The Open Championship and the U.S. Open.
Anthony David Lema was an American professional golfer who rose to fame in the mid-1960s and won a major title, the 1964 Open Championship at the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland. He died two years later at age 32 in an aircraft accident near Chicago.
Horton Smith was an American professional golfer, best known as the winner of the first and third Masters Tournaments.
The Cognizant Classic is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in south Florida. It was founded in 1972 as Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic, and prior to a schedule change in 2021 was frequently the first of the Florida events in late winter following the "West Coast Swing."
The Texas Open, known as the Valero Texas Open for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played near San Antonio, Texas. It dates back 102 years to 1922, when it was first called the Texas Open; San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corporation took over naming rights in 2002. It is played at The Oaks Course at the TPC San Antonio, northeast of the city. The Valero Energy Foundation is the host organization for the Valero Texas Open.
The Genesis Invitational is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in southern California, first played 98 years ago in 1926 as the Los Angeles Open. Other previous names include Genesis Open, Northern Trust Open and Nissan Open. Played annually in February at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, it is often the concluding event of the tour's "West Coast Swing" early in the calendar year, before the tour moves east to Florida.
The Greater Milwaukee Open was a regular golf tournament in Wisconsin on the PGA Tour. For 42 years, it was played annually in the Milwaukee area, the final sixteen editions in the north suburb of Brown Deer at the Brown Deer Park Golf Course. U.S. Bancorp was the main sponsor of the tournament in its final years and the last purse in 2009 was $4 million, with a winner's share of $720,000. The event was run by Milwaukee Golf Charities, Inc., with proceeds going to a variety of Wisconsin charities.
The Wyndham Championship is a professional golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour. It is played annually in Greensboro and was originally the Greater Greensboro Open.
The Blue Ribbon Open was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played only in 1951. It was held in Wisconsin at the North Hills Country Club in Menomenee Falls, northwest of Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee Open was a professional golf tournament in Wisconsin on the PGA Tour, played only in 1940. It was held August 2–4 at North Hills Country Club in Menomenee Falls, northwest of Milwaukee. Three-time major winner Ralph Guldahl shot a final round 67 (−4) to win the event at 268 (−16), two shots ahead of runner-up Ed Oliver. It was his first victory in sixteen months, since the Masters in 1939. The purse was $5,000 with a winner's share of $1,200.
Richard Bernice "Pete" Cooper was an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour in the 1940s and 1950s; he was best known for winning the 1976 PGA Seniors' Championship.
The Azalea Open Invitational was a golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour, held at Cape Fear Country Club in Wilmington. Last played in November 1971 as an unofficial event; it was an official PGA Tour event in 1945 and from 1949 through 1970. The Heritage in South Carolina debuted in 1969 and soon displaced it on the schedule.
The American Golf Classic was a tournament on the PGA Tour from 1961 to 1976 at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. It was the third event at the storied South course, after the Rubber City Open Invitational (1954–1959) and the PGA Championship in 1960.
The 1983 PGA Championship was the 65th PGA Championship, held August 4–7 at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, California. Hal Sutton led wire-to-wire to win his only major title, one stroke ahead of runner-up Jack Nicklaus, a five-time champion. Nicklaus shot a final round 66 (−5) for his 19th and final runner-up finish in a major championship. Sutton was under scrutiny as he entered the weekend; two weeks earlier in Virginia, he had a six-shot lead after 54 holes, shot a final round 77, and finished third.
PGA National Resort is a resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. It has five championship 18-hole golf courses, the most famous of which is "The Champion", which has hosted the 1983 Ryder Cup, the 1987 PGA Championship, the Senior PGA Championship for 19 consecutive years from 1982 to 2000, and the PGA Tour's Honda Classic since 2007.
The Seattle Open Invitational was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in the northwest United States, in the greater Seattle area. It was played eight times over three decades under five names at three locations.
Bruce Crampton 
